HJBR Jul/Aug 2019

Q&A 30 JUL / AUG 2019 I  Healthcare Journal of BATON ROUGE   Have you noticed any other changes in the greater Baton Rouge marketplace for patients? How about any changes in the health of the population? Patients are looking for quick and con- venient options. In April, Ochsner Baton Rouge enrolled its 1,000th patient into digital health monitoring, and enrollment continues to increase at a rapid pace. These digital medicine programs put smart tech- nology in the hands of patients, providing medical teams with real-time data to deliver more responsive, effective, and convenient care. Using wireless devices, such as dig- ital blood pressure cuffs, scales, and glu- cose monitors, participants take readings from anywhere at any time—at home, at work, or on-the-go. A study of the Ochsner digital medicine program was published in The American Journal of Medicine. It showed that after just 90 days in our digi- tal medicine program, 71 percent of patients achieved blood pressure control compared to only 31 percent of patients receiving tra- ditional care. These investments in innova- tion matter, and they have the potential to save and change lives. Our programs saved a local man from a lifetime of unneces- sary office visits. Once he was enrolled in our digital medicine program, we learned that his blood pres- sure was normal all day, every day, except when he came to see his doctor. Without the program, this man probably would have taken medication that he didn’t need for the rest of his life because traditional methods would have a hard time catching this. Overall, where do you see the Ochsner footprint in greater Baton Rouge in the next 10–20 years? Healthcare in 20 years will probably not resemble the care we know today. Our “Healthcare in 20 years will probably not resemble the care we know today. Our digital medicine programs offer a glimpse of the future, because we believe remote monitoring is the next generation. Our innovation accelerator, called innovationOchsner, uses technology and data to create precision-focused, patient-centered solutions to keep patients healthier and providers more efficient.” digital medicine programs offer a glimpse of the future, because we believe remote monitoring is the next generation. Our inno- vation accelerator, called innovationOch- sner, uses technology and data to create precision-focused, patient-centered solu- tions to keep patients healthier and provid- ers more efficient. Along with our partners, Apple, Epic, GE, Microsoft, and others, we work with healthcare and non-healthcare related companies to invest in, and invent the future. n “Patients are looking for quick and convenient options.”